Chapter 148
“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Wyatt shot back sharply, his voice loud enough to shake the room.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Landon replied, stepping closer until their noses were almost touching. His eyes were cold and unblinking. “I’ve known this for a long time. So stop being delusional-stop claiming something that was never yours.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Landon stepped back. A sudden awareness washed over him. He had said too much. Far too much.
Wyatt, however, stood frozen. His eyes darted wildly, confusion twisting his features. He was trying to digest Landon’s words, trying to make sense of something that simply had no reason to exist.
John looked at Gabriel immediately, raising his brows in a silent question: What is he talking about?
But Gabriel looked just as confused. From the firmness in Landon’s voice, it was clear-he knew something, Something certain. Something he wasn’t supposed to know.
Sensing the tension spiraling out of control, John attempted to steer the conversation away. He opened his mouth to say something-anything-before things went further.
But Wyatt beat him to it.
“If you’re not my brother,” Wyatt said slowly, “then does it mean you’re a bastard?”
“Wyatt!” John snapped, fury tightening in his voice.
It was clear that Wyatt was crossing the line. He was going too far.
“Don’t get involved, Father,” Wyatt spat. “I know who I am. But if Landon thinks otherwise, then maybe…” he paused, anger flashing in his eyes, “maybe he knows something I don’t.”
Landon turned around fully now, facing him head-on. His expression had darkened completely.
“I am not the only bastard here, Wyatt,” he said quietly, and purposefully. “You’re also a bastard. Stop deceiving yourself.”
Wyatt’s eyes widened. His breath hitched.
Landon stepped closer again. “You and I don’t belong to this family. The only true Wyndham here… is Gabriel. So you see, Wyatt-stop fighting for what was never yours. You don’t deserve a penny. Wake up, bro.”
Wyatt’s face crumpled. It looked as if someone had struck him with a single, brutal punch.
“Landon!” John barked again, his voice shaking with anger and fear.
“What, Father?” Landon shot back with equal force.
Everyone in the room stared at him in disbelief.
“You think I don’t know?” Landon asked, a dark chuckle slipping from his lips. “I’ve known everything. Since that day that Grandfather confirmed the DNA test.”
720 BUnus
Gabriel shut his eyes tightly for a moment. Everything was falling apart. Completely.
This was never how he wanted the truth to come out.
Earlier today, he had begged his grandfather not to reveal the secret-not to cause pain, not to destroy what little peace the family still had. He knew the chaos this truth would unleash.
But Landon… had already known.
And suddenly, everything made sense to him. Why Landon never fought for leadership. Why he built his own career. Why he avoided family power struggles.
Gabriel’s heart sank. A thick wave of sadness washed through him. He felt guilty-guilty that Landon had carried this truth alone, guilty that he had pretended for so long.
Landon continued speaking, voice steady but heavy.
“I heard your conversation with Grandfather,” he said. “I know Gabriel is the only true son of this family. There is no point hiding it anymore. Gabriel will always be my kid brother, but Wyatt…” Landon looked at him, almost pityingly, “Wyatt has crossed the line. And he needs to know the truth.”
A thick silence settled over the room. It was suffocating.
No one moved. No one breathed. The truth John had tried to bury forever… had clawed its way out.
Wyatt, who only moments ago had been shouting about his rights, now sat hunched over, his face buried in his palms. His shoulders shook slightly. Whether from shock, rage, or heartbreak—no one could tell.
John inhaled deeply, his voice breaking as he finally spoke.
“You are my children,” he said softly. “All of you. It doesn’t matter who is biologically mine or not. I raised each one of you. I loved you. I cared for you. That is what matters.”
But his words hung in the air, unable to heal the fresh wounds.
The silence grew heavier.
Then suddenly-Wyatt jumped to his feet. His eyes were red, his jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling quickly.
He didn’t say a single word.
He simply stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving the rest of them stunned… and speechless.
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.